


Son of a Gorgon

by Duchess_Of_Dumpsters



Series: Mythic Guild AU [1]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Angst, Fantasy, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Shipping, dumb gays being dumb gays, mythical creatures, self acceptaince
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28588602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duchess_Of_Dumpsters/pseuds/Duchess_Of_Dumpsters
Summary: Ren was born with the powers but not the looks of his mother, leaving him unable to really fit into a human society. That is, until one infatuated dragon tamer is sent to 'deal' with him.
Relationships: Grian/Ren, Ren/Grian, bdubs/scar, scar/bdubs, scardubs
Series: Mythic Guild AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094834
Comments: 17
Kudos: 75





	Son of a Gorgon

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Christmas gift for a friend! You know who you are! <3

“Are you sure this is going to work?”

“Of course I am. I trust Scar’s magic.”

“Alright… if you say so.”

And with that, he dared to look up.

-previously-

Ren heaved a heavy sigh as he wandered through the garden of his home. Well, garden for lack of a better term. It wasn’t like he actively cultivated the plants growing here. No, the only thing he caused was the scattering of statues standing throughout. Travelers who caught him by surprise, animals unfortunate enough to meet his gaze as he dared to watch him… now permanent fixtures of this place. A constant reminder of his curse, of the one thing that he could never escape with his monster blood. He paused, glancing down at his hands, so deceptively human. He looked human, allowing him to live in relative peace, even if still lonely, people just assumed him to be a hermit and didn’t question his habit of never meeting the eyes of those he passed.

Should anyone venture to this place, should they not meet his gaze, thus far he’d been lucky. People of the town, ever steadily growing this way, simply believed him a talented sculptor. How he wished that to be the simple truth, but it wasn’t. No, the truth was that he was a living danger to mortals and he’d need to move again soon. It wouldn’t be long before the town was simply too close for comfort. He hadn’t expected the little village to boom the way it had, he wasn’t even sure what had brought so many people in so quickly. It would be nice if he could risk a visit into its walls to find out.

“Hold!” An unexpected voice came from behind him and he froze. At least this time whoever had ventured too close was smart enough to call out.

“I’m not really taking visitors right now friend, you should go.” Ren called back to them, not daring to look that way.

“When are you ever? I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a few days now, Mr. Ren of the Dog, I know there’s more to you then… heh… meets the eye.” The stranger said, a note of amusement in his tone.

“So… are you here to kill me then?” Ren asked, straightening his back. He hated turning people to stone, but if he had to defend himself he would…

“Well, that depends really.” the stranger admitted, not sounding particularly accusatory, that was new.

“Oh?” Ren would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised. He still kept his gaze firmly affixed to the ground as he turned.

“These people you’ve turned to stone, was it out of malice? Self-defense?” The stranger asked, sounding honestly curious.

“Accident.” Ren sighed, answering honestly.

“Is this power something you cannot control?” The stranger asked.

“It… it’s more of a curse, I cannot control it, despite desperately wishing I was free of it.” Ren admitted, seeing no reason not to speak the truth.

“How does it work?” Came the next question.

“If I meet the gaze of a living creature it will turn to stone.”

“Ah, I see. So if you were blindfolded you could travel safely? With a guide of course.”

“I… in theory yes. Why, though?” Ren asked, uncertain what this stranger was getting at.

“Because I’ve been sent to either help or slay you. Clearly, help is the course of action to take. I’m Grian by the way, dragon tamer and a member of the Mystic guild.” The stranger- Grian, said with an air of grandiose expectations and Ren supposed it was warranted if the man really were a tamer of dragons. Just the thought of the vicious beasts made Ren shiver.

“I’m not sure there’s any help to be given, friend.”

“Never know till you try.” Grian said, approaching and first Ren saw the edge of his boot, but quickly a hand holding a blindfold appeared in his vision, offered gently.

“I… I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll decline.” Ren said uneasily, as much as he wanted a change of pace, as much as he wanted to grasp that thread of hope, he knew all too well the cunning and cruelty of mankind.

“Very well then, the offer stands should you change your mind though.” Grian said, nothing harsh in his tone as he retracted his hand. Something in the back of Ren’s mind nagged at him, opposed to his choice, he ignored it though.

“I doubt I’ll be troubling you, but thank you anyway.” Ren said, though as the words drifted off his lips he couldn’t help feel like he was wrong, or that they were a lie in some form.

“Hm, well, is there anything from the village you need? Any supplies or food?” Grian said, his boots vanishing from view as he turned and started away. Ren would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised by that question.

“I… er, well… You don’t need to worry about that.” Ren managed after a moment.

“Really, I don’t mind.” Grian insisted.

“Well… admittedly it’s been years since I’ve had a drakling cake…” Ren admitted, his mouth watering a bit just at the thought of the spicy meat pies.

“I’ll keep that in mind then.” Grian said cheerfully, his voice coming from further away as he continued on.

There was some part of Ren that wanted to speak up, to say he’d changed his mind, that he’d love tag along… but he squashed that feeling down. It was too optimistic, too trusting and he wasn’t about to let that get him into trouble. He had enough problems as it was after all. He silently listened as Grian’s footfalls faded into the distance, he heard something large rustling the underbrush further off in the treeline. There came a deep rumbling growl and the thunder of wings, when Ren dared to glance up he saw a large, gray dragon climbing into the air, its wings beating against gravity, creating a gust that traveled through the trees and rustled Ren’s hair. He watched as the dragon and its rider sailed off towards the village. Something about the sight brought a feeling ringing through Ren’s chest, like a drop of water falling into an empty cauldron, echoing and reverberating to curse at the gods for its loneliness.

Huffing, he shook his head and turned his attention away, to anything else. His gaze fell to one of the statues that stood among the silent plants. To the startled expression frozen forever there, the emptiness of the stone eyes made something in his chest twist painfully. If only it were true. If only there were someone out there to help him.

He couldn’t entertain that hope.

\--

Pearl’s talons had barely touched down on the guild’s grounds before Grian all but flung himself from her saddle, patting the dragon gently on the snout on his way past her. There was a bounce in his step as he shoved through the heavy oaken doors, boots thudding against polished stone tile. He turned in the first room on the left, pushing the door open with barely a knock. The desk within was absent of its owner, though piled under by stacks of papers and tomes. Glancing to the right, a table meant for small meetings also sat vacant with a map pinned in its middle. Glancing to the left, a simple seating area of four upholstered chairs, sun from the windows casting them in a warm glow and sprawled across one chair was a very unassuming looking brown tabby cat.

Only then did Grian freeze, hesitating a bit. He knew all too well how much the Guildmaster overworked himself. Grian didn’t want to disturb the rare nap that had presented itself but the damage was already done. Xisuma lifted his feline head, golden eyes with a scattering of amethyst specks locked onto Grian.

“Any news to report?” He asked, voice a calm sort of bass despite the feline shape.

“I spoke to him, he’s not hostile nor is his ability to turn others to stone an entirely voluntary thing.” Grian explained, taking the seat opposite Xisuma. In the blink, there was a dark smoke that unfolded from the cat, engulfing it as it expanded to the shape of a man, solidifying to Xisuma’s usual human form.

“That’s very good news, but he’s not with you.” Xisuma said with notes of concern.

“No, he was reluctant to come with me since he would need to wear a blindfold to travel safely and I can’t say I blame him.”

“Fair enough, still, he’s not exactly safe from the general populace as long as they believe he’s a threat.” Xisuma sighed.

“I know, I’m not giving up on him. I just need enough time to prove to him that we’re not going to cause him any harm.” Grian said thoughtfully.

“A hermit by presumed necessity, like any and all of us. I’ll stall the city guard as long as I can, perhaps take whatever you’ve learned about him to Scar, see if there’s any magic he has at hand that will be helpful.” Xisuma suggested.

“Will do.” Grian said with a nod as he stood. Xisuma nodded as well, shifting forms once more, this time to the shape of a hawk, with a single graceful wingbeat he launched himself out the window.

Grian headed out of the room, making his way up the stairs to the second floor, veering off down one hall to its end. He pushed through the door there, stepping into the tower at the back corner of the building. The room was a large circle, bookcases wrapping its entirety, climbing all the way up, reaching at the floor far above. The soft glow of an enchantment flowed out from the spell that wrapped the face of those shelves, no hand could simply reach for the books, no, Scar had these carefully catalogued, a spell in place to summon any book he needed right to his office high above. A spiral staircase was situated just in front of that sheen of magic, the dark oaken wood glistened in the enchanted light. In the center of the tower was a growth of carefully cultivated crystals, creating an organically sculpted pillar, resembling twisting vines and splays of flowers, reaching to the ceiling above and splaying out across it.

With a small smile at the sheer beauty of it that never ceased to strike Grian with a sense of awe, the dragon tamer made his way around the pillar, up the stairs. He couldn’t quite help himself, going a little slow to investigate the pillar as he climbed, seeing new details every time he went to visit Scar and this time was no different, so detailed was the crystal sculpture housing access magical energies. As Grian neared the top though, his attention shifted from the draping vines coated in glowing flowers to the opening in the floor of Scar’s office, to the voices drifting down.

“I just don’t understand why it’s not working.” Scar was saying.

Grian stepped into the room proper, pretty much every available surface was covered in an assortment of tools or supplies, disorganized chests sat with their contents spilling over, shelves a messy sort of chaos, intermittent by the large windows that filled the room with bright light. Scar sat at his desk, Bdubs leaning against the back of the chair.

“You’ve spelled that wrong.” The other stated.

“I know the spell is wrong! It’s not working.” Scar huffed but Bdubs reached over his shoulder, tapping the book.

“No, you’ve spelled this word wrong, it has a U, not a W.”

“O-oh…” Scar blinked.

Grian couldn’t help but laugh at the exchange between the wizard and the mythic-bird-turned-man. Scar just sighed and shook his head, making the alteration with a quill.

“What brings you up here, Grian?” He asked once he’d finished.

“My current charge, I’ve found out some details about his magic and I was hoping you could start looking into a method to help him.” Grian explained.

“A little hard to do without him here.” Scar noted, scratching his chin.

“I know, but I do know he says it’s like a curse, something he can’t control. It only works when eye contact is made, at that point whoever’s looked into his eyes will turn to stone.”

“Hmm… Well, that gives me a starting point.” Scar mumbled, reaching for another journal and letting it fall open so he could start making notes.

“Sounds like a Gorgon…” Bdubs noted, walking over to the lectern linked to the room below. With a wave of his hand, the book on it vanished, replaced by another.

“Thank you guys, I’ll get out of your hair so you can focus.” Grian said but the two were both already lost in thought, offering no response.

Grian didn’t mind, reaching over to pet the little dragon curled up on Scar’s desk before turning about and heading back down the stairs. Their voices, debating magical theories that went over Grian’s head floated down the tower as he made his way back down. He waved to a sleepy-looking Impulse as they passed in the hallway before heading down to the guildhall basement. The room was deep, allowing for high ceilings, the doorways were wide, yet the rooms had a warmth to them, a cozy comfort. The main room held oversized furnishings and a massive hearth with an equally massive battle axe hung above its mantle. Taking a left to the next room, following the scent of fresh coffee and baking bread into the kitchen. There in the comfortable workspace towered a minotaur of no small build, still quite strong and imposing despite the gray, the white that had overtaken his fur, long ago.

“Hello TFC!” Grian said cheerfully, shrugging his bag off his shoulder as he approached the old bull. TFC however just let out a long, tired sigh.

“What do you want?” There was no fooling the wise old Mythic it seemed.

“I was hoping you’d let me cook something.” Grian admitted, digging in his pack.

“You can _help._ **I’ll** do the cooking, boy.” TFC Said taking a very firm stance on whose kitchen it was. Grian wasn’t about to argue with the mythic who could snap him in half if he wanted. Instead, he dug the fresh Dragon Berries out of his pack, setting them on the counter.

“I want to make some drakling cakes, I know some of the ingredients but not the whole recipe anyway.”

“Guess it’s good you have my help then.” TFC sighed, gathering the fruit up to take to the wash basin, which Grian waited patiently for so he could wash his hands.

“Where do we begin?” Grian asked, glancing around the well-organized kitchen. TFC pointed to the enchanted chests.

“We’ll start with the crust, no shortcuts.”

“You mean no short-crusts?” Another voice cut in and TFC sighed.

“That was awful Joe.”

\--

A soft evening breeze carried the lightest hint of a chill, the soft smell of a storm in the distance. Ren sighed, staring up at the stars. The gentle sway of the trees framed the dark blue as tall blades of grass danced around him. It was so calm, so peaceful, yet so empty at the same time. He wished for the thousandth time that he had someone to share it with. That wouldn’t happen, he knew.

He’d resigned himself to that.

His only company would be the unfortunate statues of the gardens, silent stone.

He closed his eyes, sighing heavily.

That was to be his fate, no matter what promises were presented to him, there was no changing that.

No matter how much it hurt.

There was safety in solitude.

…

Somewhere amid his melancholy thoughts, he drifted off to sleep.

His dreams escaped him upon waking, his body heavy with sleep, his mind slow as the morning sun beat down on him. There was the pleasant smell of fresh-baked food nearby though, dancing tantalizingly in the air and reminding him just how long it had been since he’d eaten. Slowly he blinked his eyes open, seeing puffy white clouds drifting over the crystal blue so far above. Slowly the realization sank in, the closeness of the source of that smell meant someone had walked right up to him, as there was a basket now blocking part of his view of the trees. Slowly he sat up, worried he’d meet the gaze of who’d ever dared come so close. At the same time, he found himself terrified for several reasons. One being that if someone could sneak up on him like that they could just as easily kill him as to bring him a gift. The second being if he’d opened his eyes in his sleep and met their gaze, they’d be stone and he wouldn’t even remember. There were no new statues, however, so that was a relief at least. Instead, at the edge of the garden he spotted the large form of a sleeping dragon. Her wings without a spotted pattern, one gently wrapped around her rider. There was a cloak thrown over the dragon’s face, protecting her from meeting his eyes. Grian was sitting leaned against her, one hand draped over her wing… and he was wearing a blindfold.

There was something so stunningly peaceful in the scene, the dragon’s front legs crossed, her neck draped across them before spilling into the grass where her head rested. The gentle rise and fall of her chest, as well as Grian’s signaling both as being fast asleep. Ren wasn’t sure how to feel, part of him was glad they’d taken the precaution of covering their eyes, but part of him felt like they were still too trusting. Sleeping near something as dangerous as him. What was, as far as they knew, stopping him from waltzing up and yanking those eye coverings away? Startling them awake and catching their gaze? While Ren had no intentions of doing any such thing, he couldn’t help but be surprised that Grian believed he wouldn’t. Letting go of a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, Ren turned his attention to the basket that had been left beside him. Pulling it into his lap and unfolding the fabric wrapped over its contents. The delightful scent escaped in full, making his stomach growl angrily. Inside the basket was none other than the meal he’d mentioned to Grian yesterday, several hearty pies stacked neatly. They were still warm as he reached in to retrieve one and he barely thought to fold the fabric back to keep the others warm. Taking a bite, he was greeted with perfectly cooked, flaky crust, giving the mildest hint of what was waiting beyond. The next bite granted him perfectly cooked filling, minced mutton, spicy dragon berries, balanced perfectly with a mix of herbs and spices he couldn’t begin to name. It was so good he was brought nearly to tears, he couldn’t remember the last time someone had bothered to do anything this kind.

He’d nearly finished the last one when he heard Grian yawn, the sound drawing Ren from his thoughts. Warily he glanced up, but Grian’s blindfold remained in place. His dragon remained still behind him, perhaps well trained, perhaps smart enough to know not to expose her eyes.

“Good morning, sleepy head.” Ren called, a small smile pulling at his lips with the way Grian perked up.

“Good morning! Did you find your cakes?”

“I did, thank you so much! You really didn’t have to.”

“Of course! It’s not like you can just walk into the village and get some yourself as things are. Besides, I knew who could make the best ones!” Grian said cheerfully.

“Still, I appreciate it.” Ren admitted as he walked over cautiously. He really did not want to startle the dragon. Gently he sat the basket next to Grian.

“No trouble at all, is there anything else you need?” Grian asked, standing slowly, taking the basket and turning to hook it onto the dragon’s saddle.

“I…” Ren started to answer but caught himself, the words dying in his throat.

Grian paused, turning his head slightly, waiting. This was his chance, Ren knew. This was his chance to take a leap of faith and alter his fate. The question was…

Would he regret it?

If he stayed, nothing would change.

Trusting someone else… was a risk.

“Is… the village suspicious of me?” He asked instead, biting his lip as the words drifted in the air.

“Yeah… you could say that.” Grian sighed.

“I see…” Ren’s shoulders slumped a bit as he spoke, he wasn’t surprised, he’d just thought he might have a little more time…

“You’ll be safe with us, Ren.” Grian said quietly, gently, as though he didn’t want to push but was concerned.

“Will it really, though? I just… I haven’t had to rely on the protection of others in a long time and… certainly not people I don’t really know.” Ren admitted.

“That’s exactly  _ why _ the mystic guild was formed, to give the not so normal a chance. In the end we’re just a bunch of hermits who found family and companionship with each other when the rest of the world wouldn’t have us. That doesn’t mean you’re bound to stay if you don’t want to though. We’ve had others who decided to strike out and adventure on their own. That’s okay too, the reputation of the guild sticks with them like a social armor they didn’t have before.” Grian explained.

“Why me, though?”

“If you wanted to cause harm purposely you would have by now. You could have caused a lot of damage if you really wanted. Yet you haven’t, you’re a hermit… just like the rest of us.”

“I…” Ren frowned, letting those words sink in. Grian had a point, he really didn’t want to hurt anyone.

“Are you ready?” Grian asked softly, something in his tone giving room to back out if Ren needed.

“Yeah, ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go, my dude.” Ren said, putting on a brave face before closing his eyes, hand outstretched and waiting for the blindfold he knew was a necessity. 

“Wonderful!” Grian said cheerfully and Ren felt a strip of fabric laid across his palm.

He didn’t hesitate in putting it on, once it was secure he waited on Grian who said something in an odd language. The sound of the Dragon stirring followed and Ren couldn’t help but tense. Even with the ability to turn things to stone, dragons weren’t always easy to catch the gaze of. They were dangerous. He listened as the beast seemed to huff something back, indistinguishable to Ren but likely making perfect sense to its rider. After the sound of stretching leather and rattling buckles Grian took his hand. The hold was firm without being crushing, hoisting Ren up carefully. Ren moved slowly to get himself settled into the saddle, he didn’t want to fall, the thought sent a chill up his spine. Before he’d realized what he was doing he found himself with his arms wrapped around Grian, face buried against the man’s back. If Grian minded, he didn’t say such, nor did he tense in any way. Perhaps he was used to nervous first time flyers. Perhaps he was really just patient enough to put up with the possible discomfort. Either way Ren was glad for it, especially as the dragon crouched and then sprang into the air. There was a thunderous sound as its wings snapped down to push the wind, rising high into the air. Ren was fairly certain he’d left his stomach on the ground in that motion. A second wingbeat had them sailing forward, the wind rushing past Ren with more speed than he’d ever known.

The experience was somewhere between exhilarating and terrifying. His heart beat so fast in his chest it felt as if it would escape… and he wasn’t entirely sure the flight was the only thing at fault. Not that he let himself consider the fact that the handsome man he was currently clinging to could be a factor. Not at all.

It took a few moments of steady flight for him to dare lift his head. The air smelled different this high in the air. Leaving the scents of the forest behind, there was a lightness to it. It didn’t hold a candle to the pleasantness that had been Grian, though… no he wasn’t going to think about that.

Instead he focused on the sound of beating wings, of the rush of wind crawling over his skin. He had to admit it was chillier than he’d have expected, though it added to the logic of the leather and fur armor that Grian wore. Before his thoughts could carry him over the mental image of Grian’s form once again however, he felt them slow. The rhythm of the wings changef, his heart caught in his throat as they descended faster than seemed safe. He couldn’t help tensing, burying his face against Grian’s back once again as he braced to hit the ground, though the dragon landed gracefully. It was so smooth if not for the stillness he’d have thought them still in the air. Grian held still but his light hearted chuckle filled the air.

“It’s alright, we’ve landed safe and sound.” There was no judgment, nothing harsh in Grian’s tone. His touch was light as he patted Ren’s arm.

“Right, right… sorry.” Ren said, reluctantly forcing his arms to release the other man.

Grian swung out of the saddle, leaving Ren up atop the dragon alone. The air here was different, there was a strong scent of different flowers and herbs, of sweet berry bushes. There were the sounds of the busy village but it was somewhat muted, as if there were high walls all around. Closer was the sound of foxes chattering as they played, a deep male voice somewhere laughed softly. Then Ren felt Grian’s hand gently take hold of his, a silent offer to guide him down. Ren didn’t argue, not minding the help but more so enjoying the touch of the other. The soft squish of grass under one shoe and the sturdiness of a flagstone under the other was a welcomed feeling. Ren wasn’t sure if he could get used to flying, but part of him wanted to try.

“You brought the new guy!” that male voice from earlier exclaimed, jovial.

“Yep, gotta go check in with Xisuma but, first, Ren this is Doc. Doc, Ren.” Grian said, guiding Ren’s hand to that of Doc’s so they could shake.

“Nice to meet you.” Ren said, honestly surprised at just how friendly the guild already seemed. If everyone was like Grian and Doc perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.

“If you ever just need to relax you’re welcome to come hang around the gardens, I’m usually here with Hanz and Franz.” Doc said as he released Ren’s hand.

“The foxes.” Grian clarified quietly.

“I may do just that, it seems pretty nice out here, my dude.”

“Good, for now you better get going. I know Xisuma’s been worried about you, new guy.” Doc stated, taking a step back, or perhaps it was an animal because Ren could have sworn it sounded more like a cloven hoof on stone than it did a shoe.

He didn’t question it, not wanting to be rude, the thought fell away when Grian took his hand again, anyway.

“This way.” Grian’s cheer seemed more at ease, as if the longer they were here the more comfortable he was. Ren almost tilted his head at the thought, the easygoing and confident man hadn’t seemed out of his element before, but now he seemed… at home.

It was infectious, Ren felt a bit more at ease as well, letting Grian lead him into the guildhall itself. The smell of baked bread, dried flowers, and melting wax met his nose. The sound of tiled floor echoing along wide halls or large rooms reaching his ears. There was distant chatter, muffled, somewhere in the building but he couldn’t make it out. Ren wondered what it looked like, how long it would be before he could sneak a peek. It was broad daylight now though, he didn’t dare risk it, not when he could catch the eyes of someone who was supposed to be a fellow guildmate. A cold sort of fear gripped him then, the panic of hurting one of these kind people, of cutting their life short by catching their gaze for the split second it took for his curse to take effect. He clenched his jaw, cursing his blood for the millionth time. He hated what he’d been born into. There was no choice, no control beyond sacrificing his sight. A normal life was something he’d never have, not when his own eyes were a danger to any he crossed paths with.

He really hated it.

“Here we are.” Grian said, drawing Ren from his thoughts. His words were followed by the sound of knuckles rapping on wood. That in turn was followed by the metallic click of a door latch.

Ren’s breath caught in his throat, his back straightening as they stepped through the doorway. All at once Ren felt nervous again. Even not able to see, he knew he was in the presence of someone who held a high level of authority. Someone who had the ability to make or break Ren’s life with a word, at least now that he’d allowed for the situation to exist… though, considering events so far, it was the case anyway. The head of an adventurer’s guild. A guild hired to slaughter monsters, dangerous monsters…

Isn’t that what he was?

And yet here he was…

“So you’ve decided to join us?” The man's kind, brassy voice was warm and welcoming.

“Yes… if you’ll have me.” Ren said, unable to fully keep the quiver from his voice.

“Wonderful! I’m glad you’ve accepted our offer, welcome to the guild, Mr. Dog.” Xisuma said, a smile reaching even his voice.

“Thank you, I hope I don’t let you down…” Ren said, still honestly worried some accident might occur.

“I highly doubt that will happen. Grian, would you mind showing our newest member around? There should be a room ready for him in the east wing.” Xisuma said, his words carrying on the air as calmly as the scent of bread earlier.

“Of course! C’mon Ren, there’s mythics to meet and things to see.” Grian said cheerfully, guiding Ren yet again by the hand. Ren honestly didn’t mind, still not entirely sure why he felt so content to have Grian’s hand in his.

“Not that I can see anything.” Ren replied in a light quip. He would still rather not see than risk hurting anyone but he couldn’t let the observation slip by.

“Oh true… Well! First things first, it’s time to meet Scar and see if he’s had any progress.” Grian said, changing direction.

“Progress?”

“Yes! I asked him to look into ways to break or work around your ability.” Grian explained, as if it was as simple as finding the right tool for a job.

“I have my doubts that's even possible… but alright.” Ren sighed, not getting his hopes up.

Up a flight of stairs, down a hallway, up another flight of stairs, this one curving, and Ren had to admit to himself he was glad they finally stopped. The room held a stronger scent of herbs, joined now with the smell of old books. There was something that was equal parts comfortably relaxed and yet  _ alive _ . The hum and crackle of magic was tangible in the very air.

“Any luck?” Grian asked, sounding hopeful.

“A little but- Oh! He’s here! That makes all the difference.” Presumably Scar, said excitedly.

“Uh, y-yes…” Ren said, feeling a bit awkwardly on the spot.

“Ren, right?” The other asked.

“Yes, that’s me.” Ren said with a slight nod.

“I’m Scar, Wizard in action! There is no magic I can’t work with and I’ve faced some tricky abilities before.” Scar boasted.

“Really?” Ren still didn’t want to get his hopes up but…

“Yes! Impulse in particular because I had to invent a whole new method of detection for him. See, anything he touches turns to gold. I found a solution for that, I can find one for this.” Scar explained, his voice accompanied by the sound of someone rifling through what sounded like a random assortment of things and papers on a desk.

“Well that’s more promising than anything I’ve heard before.” Ren admitted, still not certain it was possible.

“Of course, it’s  _ me _ we’re talking about here. Now, hold this.” Scar said, pressing something into Ren’s other hand, only then realizing he still had a hold on Grian with one. Reluctantly, gently, he let go of Grian’s hand. Whatever Scar had handed him was smooth, like glass, but multifaceted, it was cold at first but it quickly grew warm, an odd tingling, almost a pulling sensation coming from it.

“What… is happening?” Ren asked, a little unnerved.

“That crystal is taking a reading of your magical energies. With what it collects I should have everything I need to know to work out a plan.” Scar explained.

“Oh… I suppose that would be helpful then wouldn’t it.” Ren admitted, not complaining.

“I told you Scar’d be able to help.” Grian said, that mischievous confidence in his tone again.

“Guess I shouldn’t have doubted you.” He said with a soft chuckle. It was still a little strange, he had to admit, having people who’d rather help than just run away or even try to kill him. Perhaps not every human in the world was as cruel as he’d started to think.

The odd feeling from the crystal faded until he could not feel it at all, at that point he held it out to Scar, who took it back. The sound of clanking followed, indicating that he’d set it down somewhere, the sound of pages turning followed, the scribbling of a quill on parchment.

“Alright, I’ll get to work, I’ll send for you when I have something worthy of testing.” Scar assured them.

“Perfect! Thank you, Scar!” Grian said cheerfully, his hand finding Ren’s again. Ren’s heart did a little leap in his chest at the contact and he let himself be pulled along back down the stairs they went. Grian didn’t rush too much, giving Ren time to follow safely after, blindfolded as he was. It wasn’t until they reached the bottom that Grian spoke up again.

“It’ll be a little hard to give you a very good tour if you can’t see where anything is or what it is. I can try if you think you’ll remember the layout, or I could just show you to your room. I don’t mind either way, it’ll be nice to get to know you more.” Grian offered, his tone warm and sweet.

“Is there anything you should be doing right now?” Ren countered, that drew a moment of pause from Grian.

“Well… I suppose I should go make sure Pearl gets settled in alright. I don’t need to head out for a bit so there’s no reason to leave her in her tack.” Grian admitted, sounding a little guilty for not having done so sooner.

“Let’s go care for Pearl, then… you could tell me a bit about Dragons too, if you like. I don’t know much about them.” Ren said thoughtfully, with the fear ebbing away a little he found curiosity left in its place.

“Oh… are you sure? I can go on for hours.” Grian laughed, leading the way through the maze of halls, though he was sure they’d be much easier to navigate once he could see. That thought surprised him as well, the thought that he might,  _ indeed _ soon have the freedom from his curse to just… exist. It sounded so nice, but part of him felt it was too good to be true. Surely something would go wrong, wouldn’t it? Silence was drawing on and he realized he’d never answered.

“I think I’d enjoy listening to you talk for hours no matter the context.” Ren said softly, it wasn’t a lie by any means. Now it was Grian’s turn to fall silent a few beats longer than a normal conversation and Ren wondered if he’d crossed any lines.

“I… you can’t say you didn’t ask for it, then!” Grian laughed, bouncing back confidently, an edge of excitement in his tone.

Then it began, he started chattering about the care of dragons, the importance of getting their diets right, of proper bathing and scale inspection. They stepped outside once again, the smell of the garden quite lovely. There was the muffled sound of the bustling village as well as the rustling of plants as they were cared for by Doc. Grian went on with the differences between ice and fire dragons, both of his being fire.

“Both?” Ren cut in, only having seen Pearl so far.

“Oh! You haven’t met Maui yet!” Grian laughed, he paused in their walk and whistled out in a way that sounded quite specific. After a moment the sound of leathery wings could be heard on the wind but they weren’t nearly as thunderous as Pearl’s. After a moment more the feeling of small, scaled taloned feet gripping his shoulders appeared, he had to fight not to tense. Four little dragon feet holding on gently, a wing gently brushing against the back of his head, a tail sweeping around his shoulder to coil against his chest. Ever so gently a small reptilian face brushed against his own, following the line of his beard.

“He’s so small…” Ren breathed, holding very still as the dragon dragged it’s little face along his jawline again, very catlike.

“He is! He won’t get any bigger either, like I mentioned earlier-”

“The right food with the right enchantment can halt growth.” Ren supplied, a subtle proof he’d been listening.

“Yeah, exactly! And he really likes you, too!” Grian said, tone so bursting with cheer it felt contagious, a smile spreading to Ren’s own face.

Grian resumed walking, tugging ever so gently for Ren to follow. He did, a little more cautiously, afraid of throwing the dragon from his shoulders. He quickly realized Maui had very good balance though, staying atop his shoulders without falling. The feeling of the sun faded from Ren’s skin, the sound of their boots on stone took on a slight echo indicating they’d entered another part of the building. Grian said something in that language again, Ren guessing it was draconic and that guess was confirmed a moment later. Grian’s chatter resumed, talking about the language and his unique ability to speak it, this joined by the sound of belts being undone and the saddle being removed from the larger dragon. The Dragon tamer continued on, talking about other care of dragons, baths and filing claws, of spending adequate time with them as they were  _ very _ intelligent.

Ren listened to it all with a soft smile, Grian was so very passionate about the topic. Speaking with such a fondness of the creatures did a lot to give Ren a more thoughtful respect for Dragons. They were more than mindless, world devouring monsters. They were complex beasts with thoughts and feelings all their own. So much more than met the eye alone. Not only that though, Grian’s voice was pleasant to listen to, a voice more warm than it was deep, a voice that squeaked at the edges when he got particularly excited. Ren couldn’t think of a sound he enjoyed more than this man’s voice. He rarely cut in to ask a question, just wanting to hear Grian chatter. The noise in the background did little to detract from that, the sound of gentle scrubbing and various other needed chores for the Dragon’s care. Really it set in the reality that Pearl was actually quite a gentle soul despite the tales of vicious monsters.

Eventually though, Ren could hear tools being put away, a tired edge to Grian’s voice as he drew the topic around again to details of something he’d brushed past earlier. The sound of him dusting off his hands as he approached accompanied his voice as the subject came to a change.

“Anyway, Pearl’s all set, you hungry?” Grian asked, thinking about it, it had been quite a bit of time since the meal that morning, hadn’t it? In a way it felt like just a short while, yet with the amount done and spoken about he realized it really had been hours.

“Yeah, food would be great.”

“Thought so, let’s head to the dining hall.” Grian said as he caught Ren’s hand in his again. Ren was happy to stretch his legs, the time sitting there had simply flown by without his realizing. At this point Maui was draped around his shoulders like some sort of fire-proof scarf, fast asleep. Ren couldn’t bring himself to mind, either, the dragon was actually quite sweet. Gently he scratched along Maui’s neck with his free hand and the little dragon trilled softly.

Back into the courtyard they went, then into the guildhall proper. Part of him felt like he could get the hang of traveling this place blind if he needed to. They went a different direction this time, through the halls and into what sounded like a large room from the echo of the chatter inside.

“I’m serious, one more time. I dare you.” One man was saying.

“Oh no, now you’ve done it.” A woman sighed.

“One more time, you won’t know when, but I’ll do it.” Another man said, sounding far too amused.

“Hi guys! This is Ren.” Grian said once their conversation slowed, guiding Ren to a table as well.

“Oh, Nice to meet you, I’m Wels.” The first voice offered.

“Cleo, it’s a pleasure.” Came the next.

“And I’m Joe, local phantom.” The last voice chimed in.

“Good to meet you all, too.” Ren said, offering a warm smile. Ren sat down, listening to Grian’s footsteps receding.

“So are you the one that Grian’s been going out to visit, or pester?” Wels asked, something knowing in his tone.

“Surveying might be a better way of putting it.” Ren admitted with a nervous laugh.

“I suppose that’s fair enough, sometimes it’s hard to guess if someone is willing to be approached peacefully.” Wels noted thoughtfully.

“Better to gather information than charge right in at the start.” Joe stated.

“Yeah… we’d know.” Cleo sighed and Ren got the feeling there was a tale to be told there, but he didn’t press.

“So you’re the new guy Grian’s so fussed about.” An older man’s voice joined them, the sound of a plate being set down on the table before him reaching his ears.

“‘Fussed’? And speaking of him, where’s he gone?” Ren asked, a bit surprised.

“I sent him off to get cleaned up, looked like he’d been rolling around in a stable. He’s been all in a twist over getting someone new here for a bit. With how air-headedly bouncy he is I’m guessing that’s you.” The old man elaborated.

“Oh… I… Well, I’m Ren.”

“Just call me TFC, everyone else does. I run the kitchens around here, you need anything from there you come to me.” TFC said rather matter-of-fact.

“Yes sir.” Ren said with a nod, TFC said nothing more, but the sound of large hooves vanishing back the way he’d likely come caught Ren’s attention. Just how many non-humans lived in this guild? In the middle of the village…  _ safe. _

It seemed so unusual, yet, here they were.

And they wanted him with them.

It was still so difficult to wrap his head around.

He turned his attention to the plate before him, conversation between the other three had resumed, something to do with haunting random objects. Ren didn’t focus too much on that, no interest in intruding. It was a little difficult to eat without being able to see like he normally did but he at least felt he wasn’t making a fool of himself either. It was good though, he had to admit, as much skill as the dragon cakes Grian had brought him that morning. What caught his attention next though, was the sound of someone else entering the room.

“Hey guys.” The new comer said, keeping his voice quite low.

“Oh, hi Etho. How are you?” Joe asked, matching the man’s volume. At first Ren thought he was simply teasing like he had so far with Wels but Cleo and Wels greeted him equally quietly.

“Oh fine enough, how are all of you, and who’s this?” The quiet man, Etho, asked as he joined them. Introductions happening yet again, Ren already felt he was getting used to having to do so. It was so strange though, going months or more without saying his own name and here he was, surrounded by new voices in a single day.

“So how are you liking the guild so far?” Etho asked, despite being so quiet his tone was very friendly, cheerful.

“Quite a lot, honestly. I was afraid at first but everyone is so kind and the food is fantastic. Scar as well, he’s hopeful he can find a way around my curse.” Ren offered, surprised at how comfortable he’d already become here.

“That’s good, Scar can work some real wonders. He’s helped a few of our guildmates with abilities out of their control.” Etho said thoughtfully.

“So Grian said, I’m still a little nervous there isn’t anything to be done… but if there is, then I really do look forward to getting to  _ see _ everything.” Ren said, carefully matching Etho’s quiet tone. He wasn’t sure the reason behind it, but with the way the others had gone so quiet around him, perhaps he had very keen hearing.

“I’ve got faith in him, you’ll be out of that blindfold in no time.” Etho chuckled, seemingly easily piecing together the clues Ren had let fall.

“And in the meantime we’ll gladly help if you need any help finding your way around.” Wels offered.

“Thank you… I’ve typically just avoided people for their own safety, I’m not used to trying to live blind instead.” Ren admitted scratching the back of his neck nervously.

“Those without much choice learn to get by as well as anyone else, but I can certainly see how it’d be difficult if you’ve never dealt with it before.” Wels offered sympathetically.

“It’s worth it to remain blind if I had to though, I already find myself not wanting to go back to how things were before.” Ren admitted before he really considered the implications of that.

“You wouldn’t be alone in that regard.” Cleo chimed in, making it seem that the sentiment was a common one for those in the guild.

“Sorry to vanish like that!” Grian’s voice joined in, his normal tone loud against the quiet that had fallen over the group.

“That’s quite alright.” Ren said, not raising his voice, even as Grian dropped down on the bench next to him. The scent of soaps still lingering around him.

“Oh, hi Etho! Yeah, still, TFC threatened to put me through the sink with the dishes and I really didn’t want to go through that again.” Grian chuckled, his voice dropping low as soon as he noticed Etho.

“You mean that’s happened before?” Ren couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah… it was traumatic and we’ll leave it at that.” Grain said with a nervous laugh. There came a muffled wheezing laugh and it took Ren a moment to realize it was Etho.

“If there’s one thing Grian knows how to do it’s get into trouble.” Wels said with a fond sort of exasperation.

“I can do more than that!” Grian protested quietly.

“Oh of course, but you’re still very good at  _ that _ .” Cleo laughed.

“Takes one to know one.” Etho teased with a chuckle.

“Says one.” Cleo jabbed right back, leaving the lot of them to devolve back into giggles. Even with the hushed laughter from Etho, the others lost their grips on the quiet tone. Ren tried but he was quickly laughing too hard to be able to stay quiet.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so freely, so comfortably. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to relax around someone else. Had he ever? Perhaps that was why this felt so new. It wasn’t a bad sort of new though, his heart warm, filled with joy for the first time he could remember. As the laughter died down a new set of footsteps could be heard, followed by another dish getting set down on the table.

“You guys are sure in a cheerful mood.” The newcomer said, curious sounding.

“Hi Bdubs,” Grian said before launching into introductions again.

“Oh right, Scar wanted me to let you guys know that he’s pretty sure he knows what to do but he’s short on a spell component.” Bdubs said, he didn’t sound like that was going to be the end all of the endeavor though.

“Oh, what does he need?” Grian asked, not sounding worried either.

“Deeproot Lacquer, he did some scrying and located the nearest source in the derelict copper mines beneath the forest.” Bdubs explained.

“Perfect! I can head out tomorrow.” Grian said, confidence overflowing.

“Last I heard those mines were thick with gobins. You really shouldn’t go alone.” Etho cut in, a serious edge to his tone.

“I’ll go too, this is for my benefit I can’t just sit idly by if I could be useful.” Ren offered.

“I’ll go as well, I can work well in tight spaces like that.” Etho said firmly, leaving no room to argue.

“Alright, we head off first thing after breakfast then?” Grian asked, setting something on the table. For the first time in hours Maui moved, slipping off of Ren’s shoulders. In all honesty he’d almost forgotten the Dragon was there.

“Sounds good to me, Ren, do you know your way around the blade?” Etho asked, no judgment one way or the other, more an assessment of abilities.

“I’ve never needed to, I try to avoid conflict where I can… but if I  _ have _ to fight I turn those against me to stone. I just have to meet their gaze.” Ren explained, still not all that comfortable with the thought. He didn’t want Grian going in alone though, not for his sake especially.

“That may not always work down there but we can try it. You keep on alert for archers, those are the ones we’ll need you to take out. Shamans too.” Etho explained and Ren nodded slightly.

“Archers in mines?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“In caverns large enough? Most certainly, Goblins are fairly skilled hunters and that includes using a bow. Goblin archers can be a nasty opponent out in the open but far worse in their home ground.” Etho pointed out.

“Not to mention we’re taller targets, easier to hit.” Grian added.

“Good point, good point.” Ren nodded.

“I think you guys will do just fine. Just bring back a few fist sized chunks of Deeproot, don’t forget a saw either. You don’t want that stuff on your regular blades.” Bdubs reminded.

“We can handle it, don’t worry!” Grian said cheerfully.

“And now I’m going, too.” Bdubs sighed, Ren could practically hear the headshake in his tone.

“Anyway, Ren if you’re ready we can go see who else we can find for you to meet.” Grian offered, Ren had finished his food already so he nodded. Grian caught his hand and they were up and off again. Wandering the halls and passages that Ren had yet to even see.

Part of him knew he’d miss Grian holding his hand as they walked through the guild. He was looking forward to being able to actually look at the man, yet he still feared it would be for nothing. That the spell or enchantment or whatever it was Scar was working on wouldn’t work. That it would fail. If it did? What would he do? What would the guild do if he accidentally turned someone to stone? Would Scar be blamed? He didn’t want that.

“Hey…” Grian said, stopping suddenly, Ren heard his shoes squeak on the floor as the dragon tamer turned, gently taking his other hand as well.

“I, uh…” Ren bit his lip, had he been easy to read?

“I don’t know what’s making you nervous but… it’ll be okay, things are going well, the others love you so far! And… you don’t  _ have _ to go to the mines tomorrow if you’re worried. You don’t have to feel obligated just because it’s for that spell. Me and Etho have worked together before, it’ll be fine.” Grian assured him.

“Oh, no… it’s… it’s just, what if it doesn’t work?” Ren asked quietly.

“It’s going to be fine Ren. Scar is an incredible wizard, if anyone can do this it’s him.” Grian said, giving Ren’s hands a gentle squeeze. He sounded so sure…

“I’m just… hesitant to get my hopes up.” Ren admitted, still not bringing his voice back to a normal volume.

“And none of us hold that against you. The magic of our world is absolutely feral. It plays by its own rules, affecting many but few understand it in its entirety. It’s perfectly alright to be afraid, to not trust something new will work. However, if we never try, then how will anything ever change? How can anything ever improve? Some risks are worth taking.” There was something in Grian’s tone, something warm, something sure. Something that just made Ren want to melt. Something that, for just a moment, made his problems feel so far away, so small compared to himself.

“I’m just worried that it  _ isn’t _ worth taking.” He sighed.

“It  _ is _ . Just give us a chance to prove it.” Grian pleaded gently, honestly caring. Ren nodded slowly and after a moment Grian released one of his hands, guiding him along once more. The feeling in his chest was a hard one to sort, fear and unease but with it just a soft sort of warmth directed at the dragon tamer. He so badly wished he could make sense of it but it seemed that mystery was not going to unravel just yet.

Grian slowed as they reached a staircase, giving Ren the time to adjust and not trip before turning off in a direction that felt familiar already, though he wasn’t sure exactly. They then turned again, different from before. They came to a stop and Ren waited for some indication as to why. What he heard was a gentle knock. That was followed by a new voice calling from the other side of the door.

“Just a moment!”

There was some clanking and rustling from the other side of the door before the latch was released.

“Oh, hello Grian! Oh, and you must be Ren!” The voice from before said cheerfully.

“Yep, Ren, this is Impulse.”

“Oh, it’s so nice to finally meet you!” Impulse said cheerfully.

“Likewise, my dude.” Ren smiled, reaching a hand towards Impulse, who grasped it for a shake. Impulse was wearing gloves that felt like they were made of a fine silk.

“Please, come in, I was just working on some wares.” Impulse explained, moving as he spoke.

“Wares?” Ren asked, curious and following along at Grian’s side.

“Yes, here, I’ll face away so you can have a peek.” Impulse said and Ren felt Grian shuffle around behind Ren.

“Go ahead.” Grian encouraged after a moment.

Ren lifted the blindfold hesitantly to have a peek, the room wasn’t overly large but it did have a lot of shelves, a large heavy desk. The shelves were laden with items of gold. Items that wouldn’t be the easiest to forge in the soft metal. Everything from figures to dishes, all sorts of items meant for the purpose of being decorative or mildly useful.

“I take items made of wood or clay and turn them to gold. It’s magic gold and does not melt down but it will burn if anyone tries. For decorative purposes it can be sold much cheaper than things made of actual gold.” Impulse explained, motioning at some of the items.

“And people don’t shy away or see it as cursed?” Ren asked, honestly surprised.

“Surprisingly? No, it’s sold as magic gold, not true gold. After being assured it won’t dent or scratch or fade, most people are quite enamored with it.” Impulse explained cheerfully.

“Really…” Ren muttered, staring up at the shelves laden with glittering gold.

Really… something like that, used in such a… mundane way, such an elegant use, but he couldn’t apply his ability in the same way, not when it required matching the gaze of a living being. Finally though, he pulled the blindfold back over his eyes.

“It’s… safe to turn around. So, how is it Scar helped you, if you don’t mind my asking…”

“Not at all! It’s the gloves I’m wearing, he designed them with special enchantments. See, anything I touch with my hands will turn to gold. Food, plants, animals, buildings, blankets… people.. It was very difficult to try and live with, I hadn't had a good meal until after Scar created the gloves.” Impulse explained.

“That… had to be horrible.” Ren frowned. Sure, his life had been lonely… but at least food had never been an problem.

“It was rough to say the least, anything I ate had to have already been prepared because I couldn’t handle it. If I did… it would transform and be inedible. Even then, I really had to stay with utensils I’d already touched and left to change.” His voice had taken a melancholy tone at the memory.

“I’m glad you found your way here.” Ren offered quietly.

“Me as well, and the same for you. I remember how lonely it was, people thinking I was cursed, afraid to touch me or let me near them. I was able to at least avoid touching people once I learned, but not meeting the gaze of people, that would have made things worse in its own way. This world is too rough to be stuck in it alone.”

“Here though, we all have each other to lean on, to depend on.” Grian added, shifting the tone a bit lighter again.

“Exactly. This guild gives us a chance, a family, as normal a life as can be found by those with a mystic blood.” Impulse noted, a level of quiet relief in his voice.

That did seem to hold true, the more stories were shared, the longer they sat around and chatted. The three sat in Impulse’s workshop for hours, telling tales of the other guildmates, of the antics and the quests they’d taken. In all, Impulse’s stories left Ren itching to take a job and prove himself, to mark himself useful, to find that niche in the guild where he belonged. Something about the comfortable air, about having Grian right there beside him, Maui curled up in his lap and Impulse chattering while he worked… something about that brought him a feeling of belonging he’d never known before in his life. It was something he very desperately hoped to hold onto, to keep close to his heart. Something that wouldn’t fade and crumble with time, despite how loudly in the back of his mind his doubts shouted.

Before Ren knew it hours had slipped past yet again. Grian noted it was getting dark out and the creak of his chair signalled when he stood.

“Oh you’re right! Tango will be awake soon. It was nice to meet you Ren, I hope you find yourself comfortable here.” Impulse said warmly.

“I just might be able to, my dude.” Ren said softly, honestly hoping that was true.

“Well we aren’t going to hold you up, go see your man!” Grian teased Impulse, scooping Maui out of Ren’s lap. With that the door opened and the sound of Impulse bounding down the hall met Ren’s ears.

Then Grian’s hand wrapped around his again, so gentle. Ren let Grian pull him to his feet and guide him towards the door once again. He let out a yawn as they walked, admittedly the day of meeting new people and socializing had been far more exhausting than he’d expected. So many kind, both people of mythic blood and those born as normal humans. There was a mutual understanding among all these hermits no longer alone, a mutual respect. He still wasn’t sure he honestly belonged, but he held such a respect for them already, for offering him a place among them.

Yet his fate… if he stayed, even as welcoming as they were, it was not fully in his hands but Scar’s. If his curse was to persist he’d either have to remain blindfolded forever… or… leave.

He really didn’t like the latter option.

He wanted to stay.

He wanted to be a part of this… this… family they had built.

But he knew… he rarely got what he wanted.

“Here we are!” Grian said, breaking Ren from his thoughts.

“Oh?” Ren asked, waiting for an explanation.

“This will be your room, you look like you’re about to fall asleep on your feet so I thought it was time to introduce you to your new bed.” Grian laughed.

“You’ve got a keen eye.” Ren chuckled, following along easily as Grian headed inside. The way Grian’s thumb smoothed over Ren’s hand, the light little tug to get him moving again, it had all so quickly become comforting, really, how long had it been since someone had held his hand? How long had it been since he’d known the touch of another person in any shape or form.

He was a monster, he reminded himself, no one wanted to be near him… and yet here Grian was, defying that exact thing. He was here, all kindness and warmth and welcoming. His only ulterior motive seeming to be to see Ren safe and sound, to see him find companionship.

“Thank you, Grian… you didn’t have to do any of this, you know.” Ren said quietly and silence followed. Ren wasn’t sure what to expect, if he should say more, if he should let Grian’s hand fall away…

He didn’t know what to expect…

But Grian pulling him into a hug, holding him tight - that was by far not what he expected. The amount of contact, so warm, so inviting, so gingerly cradling him against the other… it sent a shiver through his spine he couldn’t suppress. Without any thought or denial, without any regret, he melted into that hug, almost awkwardly draping his arms around the other in return, it felt like he’d never hugged another person in his life, he barely remembered how.

“You deserve a chance to  _ be. _ ” Grian’s voice was soft, kind, yet holding a solid certainty. A sort of sureness that made Ren’s doubts fade like the last colors of the setting sun. He wanted to remain there, buried in that warmth, that certainty, forever. But of course, anything worthwhile ended far too soon.

Grian shifted his hold, guiding Ren over to the bed and sitting with him, not fully letting go. Ren was surprised, admittedly, he’d thought Grian would have wiggled away, but instead he rubbed comforting circles on Ren’s back.

“I…” Ren started, though he wasn’t sure what to say.

“Get some rest, I’m directly across the hall if you need me, alright?”

“... alright…”

“Goodnight, Ren.”

“Goodnight Grian.”

With that, Grian hesitantly pulled away, as if he too, didn’t want the contact to end. As if he, too, wanted to stay. Perhaps that was true, but Ren had a hard time keeping that hope in mind, not when he was a monster, not when just meeting Grian’s eyes would steal that warmth away. It would steal away that warmth forever, no more gentle touch, no more kind words, no more laughter. It sent a sharp, cold jab through Ren’s heart to think about, to consider how quickly, how dreadfully  _ easily _ he could destroy this person who seemed to…

To what?

Perhaps he really was getting his hopes up. Perhaps he was reading into things too much. As the door closed Ren was left alone with his thoughts. A low, tired sigh escaping him before he reached up to remove the blindfold. He blinked a few times, giving his eyes a moment to adjust after a day of mostly not using them. Glancing around the room there were a few pieces of furniture, blank walls, a single shuttered window. The bed on which he sat, a bookcase barren of books, a chest, a wardrobe and a desk. The room wasn’t terribly large but it was arranged smartly and would be comfortable enough to live in. Just the quality of construction of… everything, was more than he was used to. Drifting from abandoned hovel to abandoned hovel had left him far too used to drafts and rats and anything else unpleasant. This felt like a nobleman's quarters compared to how he’d lived most his life.

Even home, even where he’d been born, had never felt like the normal home that most people had. Existing in a place underground, beneath a stone temple, a place filled with statues. A place so void of life it hardly felt real, and the day he’d left it behind was the day that the only other living thing there… stopped. He flinched at the memory of the pool of red glinting dully in the flickering firelight. That was the day he’d given up hope of ever finding anything like he had now, on ever knowing kindness from humans.

On ever being more than a monster.

\--

“Got everything you need?” Etho asked softly, the sound of the saddle’s leather straps being secured was almost louder than the man who spoke.

“Yeah, it shouldn’t be a terribly long trip but I’ve doubled some supplies just in case.” Grian assured, the jangling sound of another buckle being fastened adding a metallic backdrop to the conversation.

Ren simply stood to the side, unsure of how best to help when he couldn’t see what he was doing. He didn’t want to run the risk of catching someone’s eyes either, so he simply waited with Maui standing on his shoulders. He at least enjoyed the little dragon’s company, snuffling through his hair with hot breath. Ren was sure his hair was taking on a smokey smell but that was fine.

“Good, I think we’re about ready, then.” Etho stated, sounding satisfied.

“Agreed, oh. Hey Doc!” Grian raised his voice to call out to the guildmate across the courtyard. Soon enough Ren heard the thudding of cloven hooves on the cobble and grass.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Doc asked, laid back and friendly. Gently, Ren felt Maui being removed from his shoulders.

“Would you mind watching Maui while we’re gone?” Grian asked.

“Not at all! He’s a great little dracky.” Doc laughed, sounding absolutely delighted.

“Thank you, alright, let’s head out.” Grian said, catching Ren’s hand again. He had better idea of how to mount the dragon this time so it was a bit less floundering to get seated. Etho climbed up behind him and, with a few words in dragon tongue, they were up in the air. Pearl was a powerful beast, her wing beats like thunder, carrying them up into the air.

Ren held tightly to Grian as the dragon climbed higher and higher into the air, the wind and her wings drowning out all other sounds. The air was cooler, a crisp sort of clean, like a winter afternoon right after a snowfall. They’d been flying a short while when Pearl suddenly lurched, then they were falling freely. Ren let out a scream, his heart in his throat, flailing for anything to grab but there was nothing, he’d not even seen what happened. He didn’t know why they were falling, he could hear Grian shouting, and a pained roar from Pearl. Not a sound came from Etho though, not a shocked cry or panicked yell.

So this was it?  _ This  _ was how he was going to die. In all honesty it was far from what he expected. As he fell through the air he fell silent as well, braced for the inevitable collision with the ground, but it didn’t come. No, instead there was a set of talons wrapping around him, the thunder of wingbeats changing his descent. He cringed as the dragon let out another pained roar that followed her wingbeats as she slowed.

Then he was released again, sent tumbling to the grass, he hit hard, knocking the wind from him. He rolled to a stop, feeling a bit battered and bruised. What he heard worried him worse though, a calamity of shattering wood and roots ripping from the ground as the dragon crashed into trees nearby. Shaking the spinning sensation away and desperately trying to catch his breath Ren was not the quickest back to his feet. He did stagger back up though, ignoring the dirt and grass clinging to him as he followed the sound of a low, pained grumble.

“Everyone okay?” Grian’s voice called out, shaky.

“I’m alright, Ren’s on his feet.” Etho’s voice didn’t raise, quiet in the wake of what had just happened.

“What happened?” Ren croaked, too worried he’d meet one of their gazes to pull the blindfold off.

“Something struck Pearl in the wing, I’m not sure what but there may be a dragon hunter in the area.” Grian said, the level of stress in his voice palpable.

“Is she going to be okay?” Ren asked, fearful for her health.

“I think so, Dragons are resilient after all… but I need to stay with her and patch her up… and if there’s a hunter I need to turn them away.” Grian explained.

“Then do so, we’ll head into the mines while you handle that.” Etho devised.

“Sounds like a plan, I’ll set up camp around here somewhere.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own if there’s a hunter?” Ren asked, nervous.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Grian sounded confident, Ren had to just… trust that. He nodded slowly, turning towards Etho.

“Ready when you are.”

“Let’s go then.” Etho said, gently nudging Ren’s arm to indicate which way to go. Ren turned with it, walking alongside Etho. The land dipped, the slope of a hill not terribly steep. As they went he could hear the crunching and snapping of wood along with Grian’s encouraging words to his dragon.

He really did hope she would be alright.

Soon enough the ground leveled out and Etho nudged his arm again as they changed directions. Ren’s thoughts were heavy though, worry for Grian and Pearl pulling his focus away from the present. The whole reason they’d gone anywhere today was to help him, to do something for  _ him _ and that had led to the dragon getting injured, falling. All of them nearly falling to their doom. He bit his lip, guilt tugging heavily at his heart. He didn’t deserve this, he didn’t deserve people willing to suffer for or with him. He didn’t matter this much… yet here they were, arguing that point so heavily, helping despite of how he thought they shouldn’t.

His thoughts slammed to a stop, like running face first into a brick wall, when Etho rested a hand against his arm.

“We’re here.” His quiet tone was somehow quieter still without being a whisper.

“So… goblins… and you need me to watch for archers…” Ren muttered, uneasy with the idea of using his ability, of trapping goblins in bodies of stone until time unwavering crumbled them away.

“Yes, stay a few steps behind me, I won’t look back but do not expect me to shout.” He stated firmly and then Ren heard him take a few steps ahead.

“Alright…” Ren agreed, pushing the blindfold from his eyes, blinking against the bright sunlight. Just in front of them though, was the opening to an apparently long abandoned mineshaft.

Etho stood a step in front of him, setting up a lantern. The man had surprisingly stark white hair. He didn’t sound old, so perhaps it had to do with something other than age. He wore similar armor to Grians, perhaps guild issue… but it was green and dark gray instead of the colors Grian wore. Once the lantern was ready, Etho started in. Swallowing his nerves, he fell into step behind the man.

The lantern was bright, casting a myriad of swimming lights on the wall. It looked like light reflecting off of water, a subtle blue hue as well. He wasn’t exactly sure how the lantern worked, glancing at it directly it revealed only a metal and glass construction, the glass itself tinted blue. The metal had lovely scrollwork, perfectly symmetrical twisting patterns. Looking ahead, to the end of the lantern’s reach, he could see only darkness, the tunnel leading steadily down. They soon reached an area where the tunnel branched off, one of which dipped sharply. That was the direction Etho picked.

No goblins yet, Ren found himself more and more tense the further they went with nothing but silence and shadows to greet them. Perhaps they’d vacated at some point, or perhaps - if a dragon hunter had shot them down - perhaps they had just cleared out this mine. But then… where were the bodies if that was the case? The blood? The signs of battle? He didn’t like this, not at all. Something in the silence promised danger, or worse. They reached the end of the steep part of the tunnel, it branched off again in many directions.

“Which way now?” Ren whispered, flinching at the way even that bounced off the walls.

“Eh… this way.” Etho muttered, seemingly picking a direction at random. Ren didn’t question it though, Etho had more experience with adventuring. As worried as Ren was about Grian, he knew that would do them no good this far below the ground.

Ren watched ahead of them, catching sight of a set of glittering dark spots in the dark, glittering that faded as soon as he focused on it. He felt it, he knew exactly what had just happened and his stomach twisted at the thought of it. Eyes… some unfortunate goblin had been up there on a jutting piece of stone. What he already knew confirmed as soon as they moved within the lantern’s light of it. The scraggly, gangly creature with a bow and a horn in hand, frozen forever in a stone more pale than what made up the cavern itself. Ren hated it. He hated that, even though the creature would have called upon its fellows and rained arrows down upon them…

He hated what he’d done.

Etho quietly muttered something under his breath, slowing down. Ren glanced ahead, the edges of the lantern light cutting off ahead, dropping into a pit much darker, or perhaps a large cavern. Etho crouched low and the light faded to a much dimmer glow. Ren followed suit, sneaking along to the edge of the tunnel. It opened into a large cavern with a path spiralling along the wall down to a deeper level, the ceiling hung high above, evidence of this having once been merely a natural cave clear enough. Deep below torches and cookfires burned. There was motion as goblins went about their daily lives, platforms along the path led into other tunnels dug out ages ago and the goblins had set up their homes within. There were hundreds… there was no way the two of them could take all the creatures on at once, a literal army.

Ren bit his lip, not sure what they should do. Scanning the floor of the cavern he spotted large black roots snaking out of the stone walls and burrowing back into the floor, right near a gathering of the creatures.

“It might be a blessing in disguise that Grian isn’t down here with us. You a decent sneak?” Etho whispered.

“I… I can try.” Ren muttered, terrified.

“If any of them take note of us, make eye contact before they can raise the alarm, that might buy us time.” Etho said, confident in the plan, and gently patting his back.

“Alright…” Ren muttered.

Etho nodded, hiding the lantern away before starting to sneak down the ratty old path. Ren crept quietly behind him, doing his best not to make a sound. Etho was unfairly good at staying silent and Ren couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t been left as lookout above. If anyone was going to get them caught it was him, he was by no means as sneaky. Still, he did his absolute best to stick to the shadows, to stay right on Etho’s heels. The further down they got the more nervous he became, the more he struggled to keep his breaths near silent. He stopped when Etho motioned for him to, hiding among shoddily made crates or strange smelling totems. He didn’t want to think about what those things were made of and in the low light he thankfully couldn’t really telll.

The first real challenge arose as they reached one of the platforms, the tunnel branching into the wall from it was well lit. There were goblins milling all about and the area had enough light it would be difficult to just sneak past. Etho took a moment, watching the movements of the creatures and once he seemed to see an opening he grabbed Ren’s wrist and started across the brightly lit platform only to melt back into the shadows on the other side. Ren’s nerves were frayed by the time they were safely concealed again, how they hadn’t been spotted he didn’t know… but they had to do that dozens of times more.

Etho let go of his wrist, already calculating their next moves. Honestly Ren wasn’t sure how he did it, how he could move with such grace and control, how he could keep the creatures that were in  _ their _ home from noticing him. Yet here he was, out-stealthing the apparent underground hunters. He really did respect it, even if he was bewildered by it. Even so though, he felt the uneasy tension in his shoulders that they were going to get caught, he wasn’t sure when, or where, but he honestly felt they would. He hoped he was wrong.

He wasn’t.

As they approached the next mostly well lit platform, with a cavern leading away from it, one of the goblins stepped away. It turned, somehow not noticing Etho but it spotted Ren outright. He caught its gaze… but it was still in the light, turning to stone plain as day for all the others to see. All at once the other goblins nearby erupted in a panic, some running while shouting, others rushing forward to investigate, weapons drawn. Etho drew his blade and met the first one’s attack, Ren caught the eyes of the next, turning it to stone as well. There were too many though, it was clear they’d be quickly overrun. Etho ran the first through, just as another was rushing him. That one too fell, and yet another met it’s fate as a statue.

“There’s too many…” Ren stated as the alarm was sounded, the entire city of goblins hooting and grabbing up weapons. Etho hissed a curse under his breath, putting an end to the nearest goblin before…

Dropping his blade.

Were they to just surrender?

Ren hardly thought these sorts to be the prisoner keeping type. However what came next was Etho pulling him to the ground, clamping his hands tightly over Ren’s ears. He could see them, the hordes and hordes of goblins rushing up the ramps, letting out battle cries, a bloodlust in the eyes of any that had the misfortune of meeting his. That was… until a horrific, mind shatteringly loud screech filled the air. Even with it muffled Ren found himself in overwhelming pain, dizzied. He felt his nose, his ears, start to bleed in the wake of the sound and even once it ended he was left reeling from it. He wasn’t sure how much time slipped past before the throbbing pain faded, before the ringing in his ears stopped, before the bleeding stopped. Finally though, it did, he returned to his senses to find Etho still had his hands over Ren’s ears. Now though, the grip was looser, gentle. Ren could hear Etho chanting softly, it took a moment to place but it was the words to a very simple yet effective healing spell. The downside was it had to be used for a long period of time to do a considerable amount of good.

“Wh- what happened?” Ren managed to ask, turning his head a bit to see… his breath caught in his lungs, he went perfectly still at the sight.

Dead.

The goblins were all… dead.

“H-how…” Ren squeaked.

“I’m a mandrake.” Etho answered quietly, Ren had read about them… but he never thought he’d meet one. Forest fae with the voice of death. It was said any unfortunate enough to hear them keen would die instantly.

It made sense…

Why he was so quiet…

The others being quiet around him…

So he didn’t have to raise his voice.

It was a dangerous power, to be sure. One that a simple slip up would lead to the death of everyone in earshot… he himself had almost been caught in that, but it seemed Etho knew how to outwit his own powers. He knew how to live with them, without aid. He knew how to use them for the survival of himself… the protection of those around him. Yet at the same time, clearly, he knew how to avoid the need of it.

“I’m sorry I got us caught…” Ren said gently, certain Etho was no less happy with having to use his powers than Ren would be.

“Don’t apologize, I had a hunch this was going to happen. That’s why I kept you with me, if I didn’t cover your ears you would have died as well. Now, let’s get what we came for and get out of here.” Etho said, retrieving his blade before heading down the path once again, not bothering to sneak anymore.

Ren blinked, staring after him. Just like that? Just like that he could just… use the ability to… yet he didn’t seem to see himself as a monster. Ren wasn’t quite sure how to wrap his head around it, how to understand what he’d just learned. Still somewhat dumbstruck, he fell into step after Etho, following him down the winding path to the area below, stepping over goblin bodies all the way. Ren gritted his teeth, trying not to stare at the carnage, still unnerved.

“They’re dangerous, actual deadly creatures with no interest in living peacefully with others. If not us, someone else would have come to clear them out.” Etho pointed out, something level yet… understanding in his tone. Not so much justification as acceptance that things were this way.

Ren sighed, letting it go at that, though he couldn’t quite help wondering if things could ever improve. If goblins would ever be willing to give peace a shot, to opt for trade rather than banditry. That question was for nobles and kings though, he supposed, following as Etho made his way over to the thick dark roots bursting through the wall. Etho took a small saw from his pouch and cut a few good sized, thick slices from one root which he dropped into a pouch all its own. The saw went with them, now sticky black.

“Let’s go.” Etho said, carefully turning in a way to avoid Ren’s eyes. If there was one thing this man was not, it was careless.

Ren fell into step after him, climbing the large spiral walkway back the way they’d come. It was eerily quiet, only their footsteps, really mostly just his own, to break that silence. Etho took the lantern out again, illuminating the path much more clearly than the sporadic braziers that lined the platforms. Able to travel quicker between the light and no need to remain quiet, they were soon back to the top in the original tunnel. Etho kept the steady, quick pace, not seeming the least bit confused at any junction, it seemed he clearly remembered the way back. Ren was relieved for that, worried he might have gotten lost on his own.

Soon enough sunlight was visible at the end of the tunnel and as they neared the mouth of the mine Ren slipped the blindfold back on. He stuck closer to Etho, not wanting to get separated  _ now _ . Back up the hill they went and before long Ren could hear Grian’s voice, quietly doting on Pearl. Gentle prase and quiet assurances that she would be alright.

“How is she holding up?” Ren called once they were closer.

“She’ll be okay but we’ll be walking.” Grian offered.

“Any sign of what shot us down?” Etho asked.

“It was indeed a Dragon Hunter, he didn’t give any trouble, left some healing potions actually. He was quite apologetic.” Grian answered easily.

“That’s a relief. We’ve got the deeproot and the goblin problem is no more.” Etho stated, Ren couldn’t help but cringe a little at the memory.

“Two birds with one stone, well done!” Grian said cheerfully.

“Eh, all in a day’s work. If Pearl’s up to the trek, we should start back. We can make it back to the guild hall before dark if we get moving now.” Etho said thoughtfully.

“I think she’ll manage fine, isn’t that right, Pearl?” Grian asked, the sound of him gently patting scaled hide was followed by a draconic rumble.

Etho chuckled softly and once Pearl was back on her feet they headed back on foot. Ren was glad to hear that the Dragon Hunter hadn’t pursued Pearl as his prey. There’d been more than enough bloodshed. The thought lingered with him though, the goblins he’d turned to stone… they’d remain there. Yet Etho… Etho had used his ability without hesitation to protect both of their lives. Something he seemed to have grown comfortable just… living with. He had no fear in his tone when he spoke with his guildmates, no hesitation… just a carefully controlled volume.

Ren found himself respecting that, quietly wishing he could find a way to have that sort of comfort. Perhaps one day… one day… soon.

Etho and Grian talked back and forth as they walked, room in the conversation for Ren if he wanted to chime in but he barely noticed most of the time. He did however, notice when Grian took his hand again, somewhere along the way. That wonderful soft warmth there again, gently caressing his hand. Ren’s heart did a flutter, causing his previous thoughts to fall away. He found himself just wanting more of that, such a simple contact… more hugs… more listening to Grian talk, more spending time with him. Ren just wanted to be with him. Just wanted to… not be alone anymore.

All the guildmates he’d met so far were interesting, he’d enjoy talking to them, but he wanted Grian’s company most of all. Something about him just made Ren feel a way he didn’t entirely know how to describe but he knew he wanted more. He wanted to just revel in Grian’s presence, to sink into that kind, embrace… to hear more soft words brushing past his ear on warm breath…

The sound under them changed, grass giving way to road. It startled him from his thoughts, the sudden change in sound and feel heightened the disorientation for a moment. If the others noticed, they didn't show it and if anything the pace was picked up a bit. After what they’d been through that day he was ready to get back, he found himself honestly hoping the wizard could pull it off. That what he wanted to do would work. A tight feeling rose in Ren’s chest at the thought, at the chance… the hope… that things might finally change. That hand in his, that careful hold… it wouldn’t be necessary anymore but… he hoped it wouldn’t stop. At this point he had already adjusted rnough he could navigate alright with the blindfold on… yet still Grian was holding his hand, even when it really didn’t seem necessary, and Ren wouldn’t have it any other way.

He let out a small sigh, contented. Even though it took longer to reach town, Ren enjoyed the long walk. The time spent with Grian, walking along, chatting with Etho, it was pleasant. Before he was quite ready for the lovely walk to end… they reached town. He heard People scrambling to get out of the dragon’s way, Grian calling apologies for anything she bumped into and Etho snickering softly at the antics. Ren wished he could see what was happening rather than just hear, but that was something not yet afforded to him. He hoped it would be soon though, he so desperately did. Just these couple of days, just a short time to be among others… it left him with a deep desire in his heart. Perhaps a desire that had always been there but he’d been able to ignore. He couldn’t any longer, even if it was selfish, he wanted to be part of this. He wanted to be another member of the guild, to be more than a monster.

He wanted….

He wanted that chance…

Just to  _ be. _

The sound of a heavy wooden gate scraping on stone eventually reached his ears, the sound of Doc welcoming them back only to fret a bit on seeing Pearl wounded. Grian assured him she’d be alright, but still, Grian remained behind to tend to her with Doc’s help. Ren hesitated, unsure if he should keep following Etho, not that he could hear him well, or to stay with Grian. The moment passed though, Ren realized that Etho hadn’t stuck around for long and there was no hint of the faint footsteps. So Ren remained to help, offering to at least hold things.

“I can do that much.” He pointed out and Grian hadn’t argued.

The next hour or so was spent spoiling and tending Pearl. Maui eventually found his way onto Ren’s shoulders again and he gently scratched the dragon behind the horns with a free hand. It was quite something, how he’d gone from being afraid of dragons to adoring them in such a short time. The world wasn’t quite as clear cut as he’d originally believed. Some monsters weren’t monsters, some powers, no matter how deadly, could find a purpose. Whether that was something beautiful… or protective.

Being deadly didn’t make Etho evil.

Being dragons didn’t make Maui or Pearl mindless.

Being different… didn’t make a person less valuable.

“Pearl’s one happy dragon, yes she is, yes she is.” Grian was baby talking at Pearl when Ren tuned back into the conversation, Doc laughing at the two.

“Spoiled, spoiled to no end is what she is.” Doc jabbed playfully.

“Like you’ve any room to talk with how you spoil Hanz and Franz.” Grian snorted, patting Pearl who huffed a big, contented sigh.

“Maybe, either way I think it’s time to care for ourselves a bit now.” Doc pointed out and it was then Ren recognized the scent of food on the air. It made his mouth water, roasted meat and vegetables, carefully seasoned, just the scent alone was lovely.

Ren didn’t even need to be told, didn’t need any nudging. He caught Grian’s hand, knowing it was coming for his own. He smiled warmly, keeping pace with the other, the sound of Doc ahead of them, leading the way out of the stable and into the main guild hall. The smell was stronger there, and he could hear chatter ahead, muffled yet echoed. There were more voices than he had names to put to. That was quite alright though, he knew he’d learn those names soon enough. Once they stepped through the doors to the dining hall the din of chatter was much louder, it was excited, though there was no sign of Etho’s voice among them, perhaps he had not joined yet, perhaps he’d gone to get some rest. Either way everyone seemed quite jovial.

There were too many conversations going for him to pick out any specific one just then, but he didn’t really intend to eavesdrop anyway. Just the level of comfort, the happy chatter, among those who weren’t all humans. The laughter, the friendly tones, the people here, all at ease with each other. It was absolutely wonderful and it left a warm feeling in Ren’s chest.

“There you two are! Finally!” Scar’s voice cut past the rest, a laugh in his tone.

“Hi Scar! Was there enough Deeproot?” Grian asked, excitement barely contained.

“Well… let’s find out shall we? It’s ready.” Scar said, a smirk in his very tone.

“Wait… really? Already?” Ren asked, surprised. Sure, a bit of time had been spent with the dragon, but this… it was… he hadn’t expected the Wizard to work so quickly.

“It is! Here you go, Ren. Put these on, it’s time to retire that blindfold.” Scar said, a confident warmth in his tone as he gently pushed something into Ren’s free hand. Grian’s hand slipped from his other...

Hesitantly Ren turned his head downwards, pushing off the blindfold to investigate what he was holding. In his palm was an odd sort of glasses, they had dark lenses. He frowned at them at first but finally, unfolding them, he put them on. They settled comfortably against his face, carefully sculpted in just a way he couldn’t catch anyone’s eyes from around them. Despite the dark lenses, they didn’t darken the room any once they were on.

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Ren asked nervously, Grian rested a hand against his back.

“Of course I am. I trust Scar’s magic.” Grian’s ever confident tone was firmly in place.

“Alright… if you say so.” Ren sighed, trying to let the nerves go, trying to let his doubts, his fears, subside.

And with that, he dared to look up.

He looked up…

And he met Grian’s gaze. He froze, worried, terrified for that first bated breath, that Grian would turn to stone.

He didn’t.

Grian smiled, his eyes  _ twinkling _ brightly. Ren’s heart felt like it was a frantic little frog trying to escape a housecat. Those eyes… they were dark but they were  _ beautiful _ . Free of fear, of dread, of pain… of any of the things Ren was seeing in a set of eyes right before they turned to stone.

Not this time though.

No.

Ren’s knees felt weak, his heart still flipping around, out of control, but tears of relief, of joy, springing in his eyes. He hadn’t even realized the room had gone quiet until Grian laughed, pulling him into a hug. It was then though, that the room burst back into a din of noise. Laughter, cheers, conversation resuming around them. He glanced over to where Scar stood, Scar was holding another dragon, smaller than Maui, but all gray much like Pearl. Scar was petting her, smiling at Ren and Grian, clearly quite proud of his work. As Grian released him though, Ren glanced around, at all the people he’d been so afraid of seeing before.

Doc was off talking to someone else, he… was a satyr, it made sense really. TFC's footsteps caught Ren’s attention and glancing over, he wasn’t entirely surprised by the minotaur he saw there. So many others though… it seemed there would be a lot of introductions ahead, so many Mythics he’d yet to meet.

He was okay with that.

\--

It was fairly late by the time the party started to disband, a welcoming party as it were. Ren felt like part of the group, so many stories, so many more to hear. Jobs to take, things to learn. That though, was all for a later date. That was for another time. For now he could only yawn, before Grian caught his hand in that familiar way. Ren smiled, rising from his seat and letting Grian guide him along. The feast hall had been big, with long tables and two massive hearths, the main hall was larger. It was clearly a room meant to work for gatherings if needed, there was a job board posted on one wall, doorways, a large set of stairs and an archway under either branch of said stairs.

Up the stairs they went, the pace was comfortable, the path vaguely familiar. One he knew he’d learn better given enough time. After all, this was his home now… a place he finally belonged. No more living in fear, not of himself or others. It was a nice feeling, a good one.

They came to a stop in a hall, doors lining the walls, the various rooms he realized, this must be his door. Ren smiled at Grian, holding those eyes with his own yet again, his heart dancing.

“I’m really glad you agreed to come here.” Grian said, his smile warm, kind…

“Me, too. I’m still not sure why you decided to extend this kindness but… I won’t take it for granted.” Ren said, his tone soft, quiet, he found himself leaning a little closer to Grian as he spoke. There was a smirk on the dragon tamer’s features, he too, was leaning closer.

Ren’s heart skipped a beat before speeding up, feeling like it might fail all together. He felt he might get lost in those eyes, dark as a desert night sky. Ever so gently Grian brought a hand up to Ren’s face, caressing his cheek, drawing him ever closer. Ren understood, finally, what that feeling was drawing him towards, what it was trying to tell him. Leaning in the rest of the way without prompt, their lips met.

Looking into Grian’s eyes had been a moving moment… but knowing the softness, the warmth of his lips, it was soul shaking. Ren all but melted into the kiss, following more on instinct than anything else as he followed the dance. The kiss reached its end, Grian’s lips pulling away, leaving Ren to gasp for air he’d forgotten he needed.

“Get some rest… there’s a lot more to come.” Grian muttered quietly and the words brushed over Ren in a way that made him shiver just a bit. He gave the most subtle of nods, only hesitantly turning towards his door.

Grian’s hands slipped from his, one gliding along his arm before he was out of reach. Ren watched him go, swaying slightly when Maui launched off of his shoulders to flutter after Grian. The small dragon’s beautiful copper scales glimmering in the low light of the hallway. Grian glanced back at him after he’d stepped into his room, giving one last wink before shutting the door. Ren barely made it through his own door, swooning as hard as he was. He laughed softly to himself, he felt light as air as he stumbled over to his bed, for once, not plagued by fear or loneliness as he drifted off to sleep, but rather, the memory of that kiss… and the promise of so much more life to come.

For the first time in his life…

He had a future to look forward to.

\------BONUS SCENE-------

  
  


Ren was barely awake, half dozing off in his bowl of whatever tasty goodness TFC had set before him. He was barely present at all when he heard a real ruckus burst through the door to the dining hall.

“ **Joe! Unhand my armor** **_now_ ** **!** ” Wels’ voice roared, startling Ren fully awake. He glanced up just in time to see an empty suit of armor run past, laughing maniacally. Armor that was closely followed by its owner, a rather disheveled Wels.

Ren watched in newfound surprise as the armor looped around the table and the knight chased after it. Then, as abruptly as they’d entered the room, Joe ran out, Wels hot on his heels. Slowly Ren glanced over to the only other Hermit who had been in the room with him, it was Cleo.

“Is… this normal?” Ren asked quietly and Cleo smirked, looked up from her plate of... he didn’t want to know what and met his eyes.

“Welcome home. It’s chaos, but it’s beautiful like that.” The Zombie woman laughed.

She was right… he wouldn’t have it any other way. With a smile, and much more awake, he returned to his breakfast.

  
  
  



End file.
